Athena and the League of Assassins (An Arrow: Season 3 Fanfiction)

Chapter 31: Daring Escape

Malcolm, Felicity, Diggle, Thea and myself walked down the halls of the catacombs, with Oliver slung over Diggle's shoulder, unconscious. 

'These tunnels are centuries old. Stay close,' Malcolm said. Thea was barely walking on her own, leaning on Felicity's shoulder. 

'Need to stop and rest for a minute?' Felicity asked. 

'No,' she said, but it was clear that she was tired. 

'Maseo said stay left,' Diggle said. 

'Thea?' Malcolm asked worriedly as she gasped, leaning against the wall, then sunk down to the floor. 

'No. No, no, no.' 

'We have to move, now!' I shouted. 

'Too late,' Felicity said, as several League assassins came around both corners, effectively trapping us.

'Believe me, we do not want to be taken alive,' Malcolm said. Just then I heard Oliver's voice. 

'Hold!' The archers paused, saying nothing, doing nothing. 'I am Al Sah-him. Wah-reeth al Ghul. Heir to the Demon. And you will obey!' he exclaimed. 'Put your weapons down. Now!' They hesitantly, slowly, lowered their weapons. 'Tell Ra's I will return shortly.' Felicity looked up at Oliver from where she was kneeling next to Thea at the wall. 

'Oliver, please.' He walked forward, towards her. 

'Thank you for trying. I love you all the more for it. But this only ends one way.' 

The group walked to the edge of the clearing, a couple hundred meters to the furthest banner, not so far as to lose sight of Nanda Parbat, but far enough. 

'This is as far as I go,' Oliver said, disengaging himself from Thea long enough to turn to the rest of us. 

'Oliver, the jet's less than a mile away,' Diggle said. 

'Where are we going to fly to?' Oliver replied. 

'Ollie, I don't understand,' Thea said, looking up at him. He placed a hand on her shoulder and looked down at her. 

'Malcolm is going to take you home.' 

'You aren't coming with?' 

'Not now.' His eyes welled with tears as he pulled her in close to his chest, holding her tightly. 'You go on, I'll catch up.' The two stayed that way for a while. 'I love you, Thea. Don't you ever forget that, okay?' Then he let go of her, and Malcolm shepherded her out of the clearing. 

'Oliver... I don't know what to say,' Diggle said, stepping up to Oliver. 

'I do. John, you're the best man I've ever known. And whatever happens, you're my brother.' The two hugged, then Diggle walked away, leaving just Felicity and myself behind to say goodbye to. Felicity stepped forwards, as did Oliver. 

'I am afraid I will never forgive myself for leaving you here,' Felicity said mournfully. 

'You told me once that... life is precious. And you wanted more from it than I could offer you. Don't give up on that. The only way that I'm going to survive this... is if I know that you're out there, living your life, happy.' 

'We're always saying goodbye to each other. You'd think I'd be good at it by now.' 

'Well, let's not say goodbye this time.' The two met for one last tearful kiss before she pulled out of it and walked away. That left me. I stepped forward and wrapped my arms around his neck, sobbing. I pulled away. 

'Please don't leave me. I can't do this without you. Not again.' He kissed my forehead tenderly.

'Diggle will look after you.' I shook my head vigorously, tears flowing down my cheeks. 

'Please - please, please, just promise you'll find a way back to me. I've lost my family members one too many times, and I know that without you, I'll break. I can't lose you.' He stroked my hair and looked into my eyes. 

'I'll try,' and with that, he walked away. I tried to run after him, screaming his name, but Diggle grabbed me and pulled me back. I continued to stretch my hand out into thin air, screaming and crying, thrashing to get to him. Without warning, something sharp embedded itself in my neck and I collapsed, too fast to comprehend what had been done to me. My last thought had me uttering one name. 

'Oliver...' and then I slipped into the sweet darkness. 

One by one, the pieces of the armour of the League of Assassins was placed and/or strapped on to the man that was Oliver Queen. 

'Oliver Queen is dead. Eventually to be reborn as Ra's al Ghul. But for now, only the Arrow, Al Sah-him, shall remain. Al Sah-him. Heir to the Demon.' Slowly, Oliver looked up. 

Or what was left of Oliver Queen. 

The brother, son, and hero of Starling City was no more. 

All that was left as Al Sah-him, the Arrow. 

And nothing was going to stand in his way.